Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Hungary

Hungary: Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling was 98.9% in 1980. ▲ Rising

Latest (1980)
98.9%
World rank
13th
of 128 countries
All-time high
98.9%
in 1980
All-time low
60.1%
in 1900
Years of data
7
1900–1980

Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Hungary, 1900–1980

0204060801001900194019801900: 60.1 %1910: 67.7 %1920: 86.6 %1930: 90 %1941: 93.6 %1950: 95.5 %1980: 98.9 %

Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 1980, literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Hungary stood at 98.9%. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.

Over the whole period, literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Hungary peaked at 98.9% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 60.1%, in 1900.

That places Hungary 13th out of 128 countries with data for 1980, putting it in the top 10%.

Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Hungary, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Hungary, 1900 to 1980.
Year % Change
1900 60.1% —
1910 67.7% +12.6%
1920 86.6% +27.9%
1930 90.0% +3.9%
1941 93.6% +4.0%
1950 95.5% +2.0%
1980 98.9% +3.5%

Hungary compared with similar countries

  • Hungary's 98.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 97.7%, 1.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
  • Hungary's 98.9% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 98.5%, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 60.1% 60.1% 60.1% 1
1910s 67.7% 67.7% 67.7% 1
1920s 86.6% 86.6% 86.6% 1
1930s 90.0% 90.0% 90.0% 1
1940s 93.6% 93.6% 93.6% 1
1950s 95.5% 95.5% 95.5% 1
1980s 98.9% 98.9% 98.9% 1

Countries ranked near Hungary

  1. 10 Qatar 99.3% compare
  2. 11 Romania 99.2% compare
  3. 12 Argentina 99.1% compare
  4. 14 Uruguay 98.8% compare
  5. 15 Poland 98.7% compare
  6. 16 Mongolia 98.6% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More education data for Hungary

All data for Hungary →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Hungary?
Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Hungary was 98.9% in 1980, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest literacy rate vs. average years of schooling recorded in Hungary?
The highest recorded value was 98.9% in 1980.
What is the lowest literacy rate vs. average years of schooling recorded in Hungary?
The lowest recorded value was 60.1% in 1900.
How does Hungary rank for literacy rate vs. average years of schooling?
Hungary ranks 13th out of 128 countries with data for 1980.
Where does this Hungary data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling in Hungary. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 27 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rates-vs-average-years-of-schooling/hungary/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
128 places, 1,242 data points, 1475–2023
Last refreshed

Share of adults who can read and write a simple statement about their everyday life.